Letters to the Editor December 9, 2008

By The Daily Triplicate readers December 11, 2008 10:25 am

Reese critical of local news coverage in The Triplicate

I want to thank the voters of Del Norte County for the expression of confidence and the opportunity to serve the community on the Harbor Commission. It is my intent to work hard and take on any task necessary to insure the solidity of the beautiful harbor area. I am open to suggestions, observations and opinions relative to the mission of a harbor commissioner.

I am also taking this opportunity to convey to the editor and publisher of this paper the thoughts and disappointments that many folks have regarding the local news reporting in The Triplicate. Local, meaning Del Norte County, not Eureka, Brookings, Grants Pass, etc.

Who chooses the local news that appears in the paper? There were recent front-page articles on more than one occasion regarding the civil rights and sexual harassment lawsuits filed against the city and county law enforcement agencies. Yet, as of this writing, there is no coverage on the lawsuit filed on Nov. 21 with a copy in the hands of The Triplicate on Nov. 24.

The lawsuit addresses alleged misconduct and corrupt activities of the elected district attorney, Michael Riese. It has long been rumored that the DA has The Triplicate “in his pocket” and that he has a “deal” regarding the filtering of any information, reports filed, gossip, or just plain facts. If there is any truth to this “deal,” it is high time to end it and report the happenings as the reporters see it, not as someone who wants to hide facts and who allows the story to trickle out for their own advantage.

Where is the follow-up on the Dickson case as well as the other major crimes that are in the hands of the DA? Where are the fire and accident reports? Local news is a necessary device to allow the community to share in tragedies so they can help out, lend a hand or a meal or just comfort. People can hear the sirens, see fires and accidents, but to offer help to our fellow community members there needs to be a few details.

If people are interested in news outside this immediate area, there are other newspapers readily available. How many readers were really interested in the earthquake several years ago in Grants Pass, Ore.? A grandchild of mine celebrated his seventh birthday last year on 07-07-07 and we called three times to request a small bit of recognition. There was not a response to the request. I believe that birthday as well as many other local matters has noteworthy value to those of us who have been here long enough to have a multitude of friends and extended family that helped raise our children and grandchildren.

If the “blue chip” corporation that owns The Triplicate has constraints and limitations on the news and articles that is printed, that should be explained to avoid future criticisms.

In closing I compliment The Triplicate staff who contributed to the Bruno de Solenni coverage. They were exceptionally outstanding articles.

In response to Jim Wisbauer’s Dec. 6 letter (“There are plenty more places in town that need cleaning up”), please know that I first tried getting permission to clean up public lands. Here’s how that went.

I was told that I needed to contact CalTrans and get permission to clean if we were working near Highway 101. I left a message and to date have not gotten a call back.

If clean up is done under the auspices of the “city”, we need supervision, safety rules, and vests for all volunteers working in the city rights of way. I don’t have vests and have not taken the time to research where to get them.

I wanted to get probationers on Community Service to help out and got the impression that that would be a little dicey even though they have to pay $25 for workman’s comp in advance of doing any Community Service.

On the side of caution; the city has to be careful before authorizing this sort of stuff, as any accident to volunteers not covered by workman’s comp could result in further problems for the city. That’s something we definitely don’t need. We have enough as it is.

Anyway, long story short, we don’t have permission yet from any of the above, but I have not given up. However, that explains why we first went to work on private land. And, wait till you see what happens next. It’s going to be beautiful and low maintenance because there’s no room in their budget currently to pay for gardening and maintenance. With the use of colorful rocks and mulch, the place should look beautiful soon.

We are getting more and more interest and volunteers and donations and excitement. It’s like a groundswell. I appreciate it so much.

Councilwoman Donna Westfall
Crescent Ciy

Thanks to the two paramedics from Del Norte Ambulance

I have never had a reason to write to the editor until now. On Saturday, Nov. 29, my husband woke up with severe low blood sugar. He was very incoherent and speaking gibberish, signs that I thought pointed to a stroke. I called 911 and Del Norte Ambulance responded.

I will never forget the paramedics that arrived that day. Their names were Chris Hunt and John Crawford, and upon entering my house they squatted down next to my bed and spoke calmly to my husband, understanding that he was severely agitated by the fact that he was unable to accurately communicate with them.

Once my husband was at the hospital, these men went above and beyond. They stayed with my husband to make sure that he stayed calm and when he was settled they came out and gave my family an update on his condition.

During the course of that day, I was severely let down by the staff at Sutter Coast Hospital, but these two paramedics from Del Norte Ambulance are now heroes in my book. Thank you, Chris and John, from the bottom of our hearts.